Blower for Floor Sander Drum

ABSTRACT

A floor sander comprising a drive motor, a horizontal rotating drum having a top and a bottom driven by the drive motor and a housing covering the top of the rotating drum, wherein the rotating drum supports and drives sandpaper continuously, and the bottom of the rotating drum is exposed to sand a floor; wherein the floor sander has a blower impeller driven by the shaft of the drive motor to create an air flow that is fluidly conducted by a channel mounted on the outside of the housing and the air flow is directed toward the rotating drum to cool the drum.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patentapplication 63/088,320 filed Oct. 6, 2020, which is hereby incorporatedby reference.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable.

APPENDIX

Not Applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to floor sanders, and more particularly towalk behind drum floor sanders.

Related Art

In the installation of, or renovation of, hardwood flooring, the surfaceof hardwood floors must be sanded. Sanding is usually carried out with adrum sander. This piece of equipment comprises a cylindrical drum,around which a strip of abrasive material is secured. A motor rotatesthe drum. The drum is moved around the hardwood floor surface and sandsit smooth.

Floor sanders are used to refinish hardwood floors that have beencovered for long periods of time with carpeting and carpet pads. Overtime, the pads have deteriorated and because of compression caused byfoot traffic on the carpet, adhere to the hardwood floor as a sticky,gummy material. When the floor is sanded, the adhering material heats upand softens. The heated material gums up the sandpaper, and fouls theinterior of the housing, creating a difficult to clean sander and anineffectively sanded hardwood floor.

Accordingly, there remains a need for a floor sander that caneffectively remove the adhering material from hardwood floors, whilealso sanding the hardwood floor, which does not become fouled in theprocess.

The use of blowers is well known in the art of floor sanding. U.S. Pat.Nos. 2,069,502, 5,341,605, 5,575,510 and 7,435,160 disclose floorsanders having a blower used to move air across the motor to cool it.Often, a second blower is used to create suction from the floor inlet tothe outlet dust bag to remove dust from the work environment. These twoair flows merge and exit through the outlet to the dust bag. Neither ofthese blowers create sufficient air across the rotating drum to cool thedrum and prevent the generation of heat on floor adhesives. When theadhesive is not heated by the drum sander, it can be effectively removedusing a drum sander. None of the above references disclose a separateblower directed across the rotating drum.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is a floor sander comprising a drive motor, ahorizontal rotating drum, a sander housing, a drum blower impeller, avented impeller housing, and a fluid channel. The horizontal rotatingdrum is driven by the drive motor and has a top and a bottom. The sanderhousing covers the top of the rotating drum and has an inside proximatethe rotating drum and an outside. The rotating drum supports and drivesa sandpaper, and the bottom of the rotating drum is exposed for thesandpaper to sand a floor. The drum blower impeller is driven by thedrive motor to create an air flow and is covered by the vented impellerhousing. The fluid channel has a first end and a second end, and thefirst end is fluidly connected to the vented impeller housing. Thesecond end is fluidly connected to the inside of the sander housingproximate the rotating drum. The fluid channel is mounted on the outsideof the sander housing. The air flow is directed from the drum blowerimpeller through the fluid channel to proximate the rotating drum tocool the drum.

In a preferred embodiment, the drum blower impeller is a bidirectionalimpeller and has a drum impeller on the exterior side to create air flowto the rotating drum and has a motor impeller on the interior side tocreate flow across the drive motor.

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It shouldbe understood that the detailed description and specific examples, whileindicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended forpurposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope ofthe invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will become more fully understood from thedetailed description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art floor sander.

FIG. 2 is a cutaway perspective drawing of a prior art floor sander witharrows indicating air flow.

FIG. 3A is a side cutaway view drawing of the drum blower of the presentinvention having a centrifugal drum blower impeller and a motor blowerimpeller.

FIG. 3B is a side cutaway view drawing of the drum blower of the presentinvention using a bidirectional impeller.

FIG. 4 is a side view of a drum centrifugal blower impeller.

FIG. 5A is a front view of the bidirectional impeller, showing the drumimpeller.

FIG. 5B is a rear view of the bidirectional impeller, showing the motorimpeller.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the drum blower of the present inventionmounted in a ducted housing, having a fluid channel, and mounted on adrive motor.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the present invention with the motor andcentrifugal blower of FIGS. 3A and 5 mounted on the housing containingthe sander drum. The fluid channel is mounted on the housing and the airflow is directed toward the sander drum.

FIG. 7 is a side view of floor sander of the present invention with thehousing being opened, showing the sander drum, and showing the fluidchannel directed toward the sander drum.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description of the preferred embodiment(s) is merelyexemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention,its application, or uses.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show examples of a prior art floor sander 10 having adrive motor 20, a horizontal rotating drum 30 having a top 32 and abottom 34 driven by the drive motor and a sander housing 40 covering thetop of the rotating drum, wherein the rotating drum supports and drivessandpaper 36, and the bottom 34 of the rotating drum is exposed to sanda floor. The preferred mechanism for driving the rotating drum with thedrive motor is a belt 90 and pulleys.

The prior art floor sander has a motor blower impeller 24 driven by thedrive motor to create an air flow directed across the drive motor forcooling. The impeller 24 is attached directly to the motor's rotatingshaft 22. The impeller is covered with a vented drive motor cover 160 toallow air intake to blow across the motor to cool it. Optionally, thefloor sander has a sander outlet impeller 80 driven by the drive motor,which creates a suction air flow from the sander housing air inlet 42 tothe sander housing outlet 50 which removes dust from the workenvironment and directs it to a collector bag 150. The sander outletimpeller 80 is attached to the drive motor by means well known in theart such as belts and pulleys or gear mechanisms. The sander housingcovers the moving parts and also directs the air flow up and out to theoutlet 50. There is little or no air flow directed across the rotatingdrum and sandpaper.

FIGS. 3A and 3B are cutaway views of the drum blower of the presentinvention. As shown in FIG. 3A, mounted on the drive motor shaft 22 is amotor blower impeller 24 proximate the drive motor, a centrifugal drumblower impeller 100 proximate the ducted impeller housing 110, and animpeller wall 112 between the two impellers. Optionally, the impellerwall is not vented. This arrangement of impellers creates abidirectional flow of air. The motor blower impeller 24 directs airflowto the motor 20. The centrifugal drum blower impeller 100 directs airflow to the fluid channel 120. The fluid channel 120 has a first end anda second end. The first end 121 is fluidly connected to the ductedimpeller housing and the second end 122 is fluidly connected to thesander housing opening 44. The fluid channel is mounted on the exteriorof the sander housing 40 and directs air flow to the rotating drum 30.The fluid channel is made from any robust material that can be formed tobe an air-tight conveyer. Preferably, the fluid channel is a plastichose made of strong, heat-resistant material, with a diameter from aboutone to three inches.

FIG. 3B shows a preferred embodiment of the invention, where the drumblower impeller 100, the impeller wall 112, and the motor blowerimpeller 24 of FIG. 3A are replaced with a bidirectional impeller 180 asshown in FIGS. 5A and 5B.

FIG. 4 is an example of the preferred centrifugal blower impeller 100which creates sufficient air flow to effectively cool the rotating drum.The centrifugal impeller, when rotated, moves air in a direction at anangle to the incoming air. It has a ducted impeller housing to directthe outgoing air in a specific direction.

FIG. 5 shows the centrifugal drum blower impeller 100 in a ductedimpeller housing 110 mounted on the drive motor 20. The vented drivemotor cover 160 from FIG. 1 has been removed from the drive motor beforethe centrifugal impeller 100 and the impeller wall 112 are mounted onthe drive motor drive shaft in front of the motor blower impeller 24.The ducted impeller housing 110 is mounted over the centrifugal impeller100 and is fluidly connected to fluid channel 120. The fluid channel 120directs the flow of air onto the rotating drum.

As shown in FIGS. 3B, 5A and 5B, in a preferred embodiment, the drumblower impeller is a bidirectional impeller 180 and has a drum impelleron the exterior side 181 to create air flow to the rotating drum and hasa motor impeller 182 on the interior side to create flow across thedrive motor. Preferably, the bidirectional impeller 180 is anapproximately flat circular disc having two sides. The sides have finsradiating from the center to the circumference edge of the disc.Preferably, the fins on each side are different, with the larger fins onone side being used to drive the air to the rotating drum, and thesmaller fins on the other side driving the air to the drive motor. Inthe center of the bidirectional motor is an opening suitable to mountthe impeller on the drive motor shaft 22.

FIG. 6 shows the floor sander with the centrifugal impeller in theducted housing from FIGS. 3A and 5 . The centrifugal impeller isdrivingly mounted on the drive motor to rotate the centrifugal impeller,and the drive motor drivingly mounted proximate the drum housing todrive rotating drum. The channel 120 is mounted on the exterior of thesander housing. It is fluidly connected from the ducted housing throughthe drum housing to direct the air flow from the ducted housing to therotating drum to provide cooling.

FIG. 7 shows the floor sander with the sander housing open to show thefluid channel second end 122 through the housing at sander housingopening 44 proximate the drum. The fluid channel 120 provides air flowover the drum to cool the drum.

Further contemplated in this invention is sander modifier kit whichincludes, at least in part, a ducted impeller housing, a bidirectionalimpeller, a fluid channel having a first and a second end, andmiscellaneous connecting parts such as couplers, screws, bolts, etc.suitable for attaching the included parts to a drum floor sander.

The embodiments were chosen and described to best explain the principlesof the invention and its practical application to persons who areskilled in the art. As various modifications could be made to theexemplary embodiments, as described above with reference to thecorresponding illustrations, without departing from the scope of theinvention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoingdescription and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpretedas illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of thepresent invention should not be limited by any of the above-describedexemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with thefollowing claims appended hereto and their equivalents.

1. A floor sander comprising a drive motor, a horizontal rotating drum,a sander housing, a drum blower impeller, a vented impeller housing, anda fluid channel, wherein the horizontal rotating drum is driven by thedrive motor; wherein the drive motor has a drive motor shaft; whereinthe horizontal rotating drum has a top and a bottom; wherein the sanderhousing covers the top of the rotating drum; wherein the sander housinghas an inside proximate the rotating drum and an outside; wherein therotating drum supports and drives a sandpaper; wherein the bottom of therotating drum is exposed for the sandpaper to sand a floor; wherein thedrum blower impeller is mounted on and driven by the drive motor shaftto create an air flow; wherein the drum blower impeller is covered bythe vented impeller housing; wherein the fluid channel has a first endand a second end; wherein the first end is fluidly connected to thevented impeller housing; wherein the second end is fluidly connected tothe inside of the sander housing proximate the rotating drum; whereinthe fluid channel is mounted on the outside of the sander housing; andwherein the air flow is directed from the drum blower impeller throughthe fluid channel to proximate the rotating drum to cool the drum. 2.The floor sander of claim 1, wherein the drum blower impeller is acentrifugal blower impeller.
 3. The floor sander of claim 1, wherein thedrum blower impeller is a bidirectional impeller that has a rotatingdrum impeller that directs an air flow through the fluid channel to therotating drum and has a drive motor impeller that directs an air flow tothe drive motor.
 4. The floor sander of claim 3, wherein thebidirectional impeller is an essentially flat round disc having finsradiating from the center of the disc to the circumference edge.
 5. Thefloor sander of claim 4, wherein the fins are two sizes, one size oneach side of the disc, with larger fins being used to drive the air tothe rotating drum, and smaller fins driving the air to the drive motor.6. The floor sander of claim 5, wherein the disc has a center, and atthe center is an opening suitable to mount the drum blower impeller onthe drive motor shaft.
 7. The floor sander of claim 2, wherein a motorblower impeller is mount on the drive motor shaft proximate the drivemotor and a impeller wall is mounted between the motor blower impellerand the centrifugal blower motor.
 8. The floor sander of claim 7,wherein the impeller wall is not vented.
 9. The floor sander of claim 8,wherein the motor blower impeller creates air flow around the drivemotor and the centrifugal blower motor creates air flow to the rotatingdrum.
 10. A floor sander comprising a drive motor, a horizontal rotatingdrum, a sander housing, a drum blower impeller, a vented impellerhousing, and a fluid channel, wherein the horizontal rotating drum isdriven by the drive motor; wherein the drive motor has a drive motorshaft; wherein the horizontal rotating drum has a top and a bottom;wherein the sander housing covers the top of the rotating drum; whereinthe sander housing has an inside proximate the rotating drum and anoutside; wherein the rotating drum supports and drives a sandpaper;wherein the bottom of the rotating drum is exposed for the sandpaper tosand a floor; wherein the drum blower impeller is mounted on and drivenby the drive motor shaft to create an air flow; wherein the drum blowerimpeller is covered by the vented impeller housing; wherein the fluidchannel has a first end and a second end; wherein the first end isfluidly connected to the vented impeller housing; wherein the second endis fluidly connected to the inside of the sander housing proximate therotating drum; wherein the fluid channel is mounted on the outside ofthe sander housing; wherein the air flow is directed from the drumblower impeller through the fluid channel to proximate the rotating drumto cool the drum; and wherein the drum blower impeller is abidirectional impeller that has a rotating drum impeller that directs anair flow through the fluid channel to the rotating drum and has a drivemotor impeller that directs an air flow to the drive motor.
 11. Thefloor sander of claim 10, wherein the bidirectional impeller is anessentially flat round disc having fins radiating from the center of thedisc to the circumference edge on both sides of the disc.
 12. The floorsander of claim 11, wherein the fins are two sizes, one size on eachside of the disc, with larger fins being used to drive the air to therotating drum, and smaller fins driving the air to the drive motor. 13.The floor sander of claim 12, wherein the disc has a center, and at thecenter is an opening suitable to mount the drum blower impeller on thedrive motor shaft. 14-20. (canceled)